THE FINE ‘COPPER WORKS’ - Kashmir Trends

Iqbal Ahmad

The tale of Kashmiri metal works is very old and is prominent part of Jammu and Kashmir Heritage. The craftsmen produced brilliant metal works. Since Hindu and Buddhist cultures needed icons for various deities, these were made not in wood or stone, but bronze. Since coming of Islam discouraged these image makings, craftsmen shifted to other trades, like making utensils.

Excerpts:

Tradition of metal images:

“Handling Metal is a bit difficult and tedious when compared to handling wood. It requires not only high skill but also improved instruments and casting as well as clipping technologies. Romans and Greeks were the first to introduce metal in various forms. Harappan people also made ornaments and seals of it and people of Kashmir News Army did not remain far-behind in making impressive objects of copper and bronze. The tale of Kashmiri metal works is very old, perhaps as old as the political history of the land. The metal workers commissioned impressive objects to meet the social and economic requirements of the country. Official coins, ornaments, religious icons, domestic utensils etc. are the things, which have a long history in the Valley. The craftsmen of the land produced brilliant metal works. The early medieval and medieval ages witnessed the promotion of Hindu and Buddhist cultures here. The followers of these faiths required icons of various deities. These deities were not only made in stone and wood but also in bronze. The land is said to have cultivated a rich tradition of metal images, rarely found anywhere else. “Unlike other regions where copper alloys were preferred, Kashmir sculptures had been partially of brass which were often inlaid with silver and copper,” says Pratapiditya Pal, in his book, ‘Kashmir News Zone’. Besides masterpieces in copper and bronze, Kalhana has made mention of several gold and silver images and some of such images, according to his reports, were installed in the temples of Parihaspura”.

Declining practice:

“The European and local archaeologists recovered a number of wonderful bronze images from excavated sites that today have become the zenith of stalls of world museums and art galleries. Prepared through casting technique these wonderful images clearly speak of the valley’s high skilled metal art. Percey Brown, George Watts, Pratapaditya Pal and John Seuidmark like veteran scholars on the subject have made a detailed mention of Kashmir metal works in their respective accounts. They have classified the Kashmir News Tomorrow works in separate groups and found its influence on the bronze produced in other regions. It was during the Hindu and Buddhist ages that impressive bronze images were commissioned here while the practice was discouraged by the new faith that got cultivated here from 14th century onwards. It was the advent of Islam wherein not only worshipping but also commissioning of the image was strictly prohibited. So the communities involved in making brilliant images shifted to other trades. The trade involved making of various types of domestic vessels used for cooking and serving food made from copper. This new trade also developed very fast as its makers extended their ingenuity and skill to working in copper with Persian and Iranian influences. The copper utensils turned more popular and Muslim society adopted it quickly. This gave rise to copper industry, which rapidly flourished throughout the valley. Centuries old magnificent utensils of Kashmir also found their place in the art galleries of the world. Although many old traditions of land vanished from the scene but copper utensil manufacturing is flourishing all over Kashmir. Despite inroads made by the machine-made objects, the popularity of using copper pots has not diminished, says Muhammad Ramzan, who runs a copper shop in old Srinagar city. As per unofficial estimates four to five hundred families are involved in making these objects while thousands of people are involved at various stages of this trade”.

[Courtesy: daily Kashmir Images, Srinagar, Kashmir, January 13, 2019].

IN DEFENCE OF ISIS

The ongoing episodes have demonstrated that ISIS in Kashmir is a reality. Obstruction administration may restrict it, so to state, yet it is dishonest. We have been all along advancing a dream of history that suits ISIS attitude. We buy in to a Future ISIS. Kashmiri Muslim culture, and Resistance governmental issues hints at no clasping under that weight. In any case, how to manage ISIS inside? It is a test for all, not just Resistance development. A change of Resistance governmental issues is required. No imagery yet legislative issues dependent on some substance. 

Portions:

Weak Opposition:

"In the ice chomped a week ago of December, the year simply past us, a crazy occurrence at the Srinagar's church building mosque likens to a crisp disturbance in a long solidified lake. In every single such circumstance our own reaction starts with judgment, closes with raging objection. And after that everything stays where it was. Be that as it may, the signs let us know, things won't remain where they are. Coming occasions have started to cast a long shadow. The main significant appearance of this Black was at the memorial service of Esa Fazili, avowedly an individual from IS in Kashmir. Conveying dark banners, a gathering of covered men push into the room where Esa's dead body was kept. Observer account says that these individuals jumped their way into the room pushing even Esa's close family menacingly off, to bring the dead body into control. Allegedly such individuals were seen at numerous different funerals, including that of unmistakable activists like Mannan Wani, and before that Dr Muhammed Rafi. The surfacing up of gatherings like Ansar Gazvat al-Hind, Jund al-Khilafah, and JKIS combined the discussion of ISIS in Kashmir. We have young men who state they have a place with these gatherings, and kick the bucket. Their passing is as genuine as the demise of somebody having a place with gatherings like HM. As agonizing, and as appalling, as the demise of all others. From one perspective we call them "our children", and at the same time we state ISIS is our foe. It doesn't make any sense. Who do we trick – ourselves! Genuine, the Resistance authority in Kashmir restricted ISIS transparently. Geelani Sahab took a lead in this, and reprimanded it at its initial thunderings. Be that as it may, that restriction is unclear, and pitiful. It puts a dishonest spread over the profound situated logical inconsistency between our ideological substance and political practice. ISIS in Kashmir, whatever it is, will at some point or another convey that logical inconsistency to fore. The fact of the matter is this: our restriction to ISIS is stunning, and absolutely incapable. This new wonder has a capability of dissolving all resistance in its way, since we basically have confidence in a similar governmental issues that ISIS discusses. We have been all along advancing a dream of History that suits this ISISised mentality. We as a whole buy in to a Future ISIS transparently says it works for. Our goals, our legends, our models, and our ideal world – it's every one of the one. A plain demonstration of remaining before a mirror can disclose to us that we are for the most part Black. So who do we restrict, and why!" Jammu and Kashmir News

Not Buckling Under Pressure:

"The West, the US, Israel, and India – all blended into an excellent intrigue against Islam and Muslims, is currently our most loved dish. We cook it, and afterward there is a serving in the wake of serving, and afterward another serving. A nonexistent dinner that neither completions, nor mitigates our yearning. We are devouring this table for long, and there is no discernable want to scan for some genuine sustenance: something worth mulling over. What's more, the main piece of that sustenance is that it's less demanding to battle the ISIS we extravagant is a piece of some connivance. That ISIS is a thing outside, and regardless of how hard it attempts, Kashmir's Muslim culture, and its Resistance legislative issues, hints at no clasping under that weight. This also will pass. Be that as it may, how to manage the ISIS inside. The ISIS that we as a whole are. The ISIS that we lecture and supplicate. What occurred at Jamia Masjid is a clarion call to open our shut personalities. It's anything but a test to Mirwaiz Umar alone. It can't be kept to Joint Resistance Leadership. It is a danger to us all – the Islamists, the secularists, the conservatives, the falcons, even the spectators. All will be bombarded to bits. After the Hindu conservative took control in India, new plans have unfurled. The Doctrine of State that says absolute persecution is the solitary method to manage Kashmiris, can, and will, in the event that it has not as of now, associate with this marvel. This messengers another fate. On the off chance that that occurs – may that never occur - Kashmir would be a district of an exceedingly pulverizing brutality. Be that as it may, are we furnished to manage this. Not in the least. It needs a gallant returning to of all our religious idea. Our obstruction legislative issues is likewise founded on that idea, so a change of Resistance governmental issues is seriously required. The restriction to ISIS will undoubtedly make a few exposures, and furthermore get extraordinary brutality its wake. An unequivocal judgment of this viciousness is sufficiently not. The buck stops at bringing into talk the religious substance that breeds ISIS. Syed Ali Shah Geelani, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, and Yasin Malik need to sit, and examine truly, how to manage ISIS. Imagery is simply not going to do it. A governmental issues dependent on some substance is required. A few suggestions may help. One, Syed Maududi's accentuation on straightforward, popularity based, and peaceful governmental issues. Two, Rashid Ghannoushi's reconciliatory national legislative issues. Third, and the most urgent, Ghamidi's Counter Narrative".


[Courtesy: Daily Greater Kashmir, Srinagar, Kashmir, January 05, 2019].

THE TECTONIC SHIFT - Kashmir Trends

Javaid Beigh

In an interesting and critical analysis of role of political parties, the author laments that the major political parties in the state have promoted their self interests. Ignoring the expectations of common man these parties have promoted their own kith and kin. He makes a strong case for the formation of  a ’Third Front’ in J&K.

 Excerpts: 

Need for New political formations:

“Isn’t this a part of electoral democratic process that new political formations be allowed consistently within the framework of constitutionality, especially when old and established political parties fail to inspire people? Why is it that unlike other regions of India, there is a tradition of rather “undemocratic intolerance” for the emergence of “Third Front” in Kashmir valley? And nothing explained this “democratic curse of Kashmir” more aptly than the pathetic “twitter alliance” between two main Kashmir based political parties along with a prominent national political party that indulged in a social media drama, making Kashmir politics a butt of jokes in the entire world. Historically, the “Third Front” has always been forced to remain a peripheral political entity in the electoral politics of Jammu & Kashmir state in general and that of Kashmir valley in particular. The Kashmir valley’s prominent grand old party – National Conference & Indian National Congress have dominated electoral politics of Kashmir valley and Jammu region respectively for most of the time since 1947, wherein political power largely oscillated between these two political entities. While the National Conference has remained a private monopoly of Sheikh Family, which has personally enriched immensely through their largely unquestioned and undemocratic stranglehold over National Conference, the J&K state unit of Congress has been repository of mostly handpicked sycophants of Delhi based Congress high command. This NC – Congress alternative and joint collaboration during different times has been nothing more than an opportunistic power grab that benefited Sheikh family as well as few other Congress backed Kashmiri families, with aam aadmi in Kashmir valley, Jammu region and Ladakh having remained untouched by full potential of economic development that the state of Jammu & Kashmir was actually capable of in last 7 decades”.

Resisting ‘Third Front’ formation:

“The “Third Front” in the form of smaller parties based on sub regional and religious identities have always been part of the political spectrum of Jammu & Kashmir’s electoral politics like Jammu region’s All Jammu & Kashmir Praja Parishad that remained a prominent political player in 1950s and 60s in plains of Jammu, but the arrogant, elitist and corrupt political nexus and (said as well as unsaid) alliance between Congress and NC belittled these early “Third Front” parties of Jammu region as “right wing” even as these two parties portrayed themselves as sole “secular” and “representative” political entities from Kashmir valley and Jammu region respectively. It didn’t matter to them that these “right wing” parties (as they called them) had won mandate of the people of Jammu region and won seats in the Jammu & Kashmir assembly. In the year 1987, entire Jammu & Kashmir state in general and Kashmir valley in particular had to pay an extremely heavy price for this collective arrogance, corruption and greed for power of J&K’s unofficial two-party system (NC – Congress), when this unholy alliance of greedy, corrupt, discredited and much despised political arrangement ended up stifling and shamelessly crushing the emergence of Muslim United Front – an urban young Kashmiri student driven political initiative that sought to create the space for the  “Third Front” in Kashmir valley as an alternative to much hated, corrupt and despised Sheikh family run NC and high command run J&K unit of Congress. The blatant, brazen and shameless stealing of mandate of 1987 by the unholy alliance of NC – Congress not only successfully destroyed the democratic and constitutional emergence of MUF as “Third Front” in Jammu & Kashmir’s electoral political space, it also destroyed Kashmir valley and pushed it abyss of unending death and destruction from which Kashmir valley has still not being able to come out. The emergence of People’s Democratic Party was the first successful allowance of “Third Front” (as an alternative to the duo of NC – Congress) on the political scene of Kashmir valley. Though technically, PDP was an extension of Congress as its chief patron, Late Mufti Mohammad Syed was a former Congressmen, who was from Congress party culture, the political party that he found was rooted in Kashmir and for the first time provided a political alternative to National Conference, which was hopelessly turning into a third-generation family raj”.

Case of an unexpected Alliance:

“The 2014 mandate for J&K state assembly elections was indeed one of the most complicated election results in recent times, which, for the first-time established BJP as a major political force in densely populated plains of Jammu region, where till now Congress used to be a dominating political entity. Kashmir valley-based parties like NC and PDP and smaller sub regional parties like Bhim Singh’s Panther’s Party have at best been marginal players in plains (and even Hills) of Jammu region. The BJP has successfully managed to place itself as an alternative to Congress party in Jammu region just as what PDP did to National Conference in late 1990s and early 2000s in Kashmir valley. The result of the complicated and messy election results of 2014 J&K state assembly elections threw yet another unholy alliance between the so called ideologically unmatchable “North pole & South Pole” of Jammu & Kashmir’s political spectrum.  While there is little doubt about the fact that the political alliance between BJP & PDP has proven to be a complete disaster for the entire J&K state and especially for Kashmir valley, where last few years have seen an increase in violence, killings, pellet blinding, complete collapse of economy, collapse of governance, alienation of Kashmiri people and a near complete breakdown of law and order. There is a general air of despair and despondency with corruption (J&K has been designated as India’s most corrupt state), nepotism, elitism, pollution and environmental degradation (Srinagar city has been designated as world’s 10th most polluted city), menace of drugs, loot and plunder of limited state resources, collapse of civic and communication infrastructure, increase in crime etc. defining challenges of governance in the state, especially Kashmir valley. And amidst all this chaos, gloom and doom, the election mandate of 2014 assembly elections also provided a ray of hope in the form of the emergence of “Third Front”, a true and serious and for the first time, a formidable third political alternative from Kashmir valley that is truly path breaking in many ways, which is not only challenging the established Kashmiri political elite families, who along with their sons, daughters, daughter in-laws, grand-children, cousins, uncles, aunties and extended family clan and friends have taken it for granted as a political privilege to rule over the destiny of 1.2 crore people of J&K, especially Kashmir valley and in the process enrich themselves through opportunistic governing alliances, thinking that no question will ever be asked of them of their misdeeds ever.

Prospects of a New Front:

“While Sajad Gani Lone and People’s Conference along with many young and old political leaders and activists from PC and others parties who have recently joined or expressed their desire to join PC including Imran Reza Ansari, Muzaffar Hussain Beigh, Mohd Abbas Wani and Junaid Azam Mattoo (recently elected mayor of Srinagar city), forms the pivot of this new and emerging political “Third Front”, however this front by definition also extends to all political forces that are opposed to Sheikh family run National Conference and Mufti khandan run PDP and that includes leaders like Engineer Rashid of Awami Ittehad Party and perhaps even Mohammad Yousuf Tarigami of Communist Party of India (Marxist). In fact, the “Third Front” includes any one and every one, who is sick and tired of the rich, greedy, sycophant, corrupt, nepotism infected privileged established political elite and their extended and wide spread khandani raj in Kashmir and entire J&K, who shamelessly even use the misery of Kashmir’s death and destruction for their political agenda to capture power in Kashmir and then selectively profit their own clan or sycophants from their rule”.

“The fact that this newly emerging “Third Front” is making waves and is fast capturing the imagination of wider section of the aam awam of J&K, especially Kashmir valley can be gauged from the fact that there has been an increase in social media attacks on all those associated with or seen to be associated with this emerging “Third Front”. The fact however is that, in  this year of 2018 and in this day and age of internet, people know everything including what the “old guard” would hypocritically not talk about or tell the people of Kashmir valley and J&K state. Given the fact that both the so called “secular” NC and PDP have had political association with the same “communal” party of which they accuse PC of associating with does not cut much ice except for portraying them as hypocrites. Also, their shedding of crocodile tears for their “defense” of Article 370 and 35-A stands hollow in light of their past and present association with Congress party, which is solely responsible for damaging and diluting these constitutional provisions, the most. Unlike three generations of Chief Ministers in National Conference and two generations of Chief Ministers in PDP, the dynastic rule of NC and PDP cannot be compared with that of Late Abdul Gani Lone, who never held an all-powerful post of “wazir-e-ala Jammu & Kashmir” and the immense political clout and perks and privileges that come with that position. The icing on the cake of Kashmir’s latest tryst with stifling of the “Third Front” has been the rush with which these two Kashmir based family political enterprises staked claim (along with Congress) to form the government (which they never intended to do run) with the sole aim to force the Governor to dissolve the J&K state assembly and not let a “Third Front” and someone who is neither “Sheikh” or “Mufti” to explore and lead the possibility of forming the state government.

“This is especially ironical for PDP, which created a space for itself in 1990s by challenging the monopoly of National Conference in Kashmir’s electoral politics and the same PDP is today partner in creating hurdles for the emergence of the “Third Front” under the umbrella of People’s Conference. Beyond the realm of social media, the fact on ground  is that the emergence of the “Third Front” has come as a breath of fresh air by allowing an entirely new breed of young political activists from an entire social spectrum of Kashmir valley including rich, poor, educated, women, etc., any one with political ambition, who does not have any place in undemocratic and nepotism infected NC and PDP to carve a place for himself and / or herself in electoral politics of J&K (especially Kashmir valley), signaling a major tectonic shift in Kashmir valley’s mainstream electoral politics. This is a part of natural democratic evolution and any attempt to create hurdles in this process can have the disastrous consequences as the history of modern Kashmir from 1987 onwards tells us very clearly”.

Visit here: http://www.kashmirtrends.in/jammu-and-kashmir-news/the-tectonic-shift/

[Courtesy: Daily Greater Kashmir, Srinagar, December 20, 2018.]